National Institutes of Health Seeking Applications for Serious STEM Games for Pre-College and Informal Science Education AudiencesAudience: Small Business Concerns in the U.S.
Application Deadline: Nov. 12, 2014

Space Racers™ is a new, original animated TV series that provides young children with exposure to key aspects of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, curricula. Produced in collaboration with NASA experts, the series follows a group of talented young spaceship cadets at the Stardust Bay Space Academy. Kids will travel with speedy Eagle, strong Hawk, smart Robyn, brave Starling and competitive Raven as they soar through the solar system learning about the power of scientific investigation and observation, the wonders of space exploration and the importance of working as a team.

A toolkit filled with lesson plans and activities related to the Space Racers episodes is now available. The toolkit includes a CD-ROM and DVD with lesson plans and activities related to various Space Racers episodes. These resources are ideal for classroom and educator use with students in grades Pre-K through 2.

To request a free copy of the toolkit please send an email to press@spaceracers.org with the following information:

Notice of Intent to Release a Draft Cooperative Agreement Notice for NASA Science Mission Directorate Science EducationNASA’s Science Mission Directorate intends to release a draft Cooperative Agreement Notice soliciting team-based proposals for science education. It is anticipated that the draft will be downloadable by the end of October 2014 from the NSPIRES Web page at http://tinyurl.com/npm4tzy. Comments on this draft text are due to the point of contact no later than 30 days after release of the draft text. It is anticipated that the final CAN will be issued early in calendar year 2015. See the anticipated schedule at the bottom of this announcement.

The goal of the NASA SMD Science Education CAN is to meet the following NASA SMD Science Education Objectives: enabling STEM education, improving U.S. science literacy; advancing national education goals; and leveraging science education through partnerships. NASA intends to select one or more focused, science discipline-based team(s). While it is envisioned that multiple agreements may be awarded, selection of a single award to support all of SMD science education requirements is not precluded. Awards are anticipated by Sept. 30, 2015.

All comments and questions should be directed to Kristen Erickson at CANsci-ed@hq.nasa.gov using “Science Education CAN” (without quotes) in the subject line of all transmissions. The identity of those submitting comments will be held in confidence. Answers to questions about this Announcement and draft CAN will be posted on the NSPIRES website for this CAN under other documents.

The anticipated NASA SMD Science Education CAN schedule follows:

Draft CAN Release Date (target) — October 2014
Final CAN Release Date (target) — No earlier than December 2014
Preproposal Conference — ~2 weeks after final CAN release
Notice of Intent to Propose Deadline — 30 days after final CAN release
Electronic Proposal Submittal Deadline — at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time 90 days after final CAN release
Selections Announced (target) — Summer 2015
Projects Begin (target) — Oct. 1, 2015

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development — K-5 NASA Education Series

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a free series of webinars designed to specifically for elementary educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your K-5 classroom.

K-5 NASA Education Series: Part 3 — Science Component
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5Event Date: Oct. 27, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will learn about NASA’s resource for elementary classrooms with a focus on life science, earth science and physical science.

NOAA Education and Science Forum 2014The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s, or NOAA, Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center located on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will co-host the Educational Partnership Program seventh biennial Education and Science Forum Oct. 26-29, 2014. This year’s theme is “Developing a Premier Future STEM Workforce to Support Environmental Sustainability.”

This year’s event kicks off with a series of student development workshops and an evening networking event on Sunday, Oct. 26.

The following day, the forum opens with plenary sessions featuring invited members of Congress and senior NOAA officials including Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the agency administrator. Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, a distinguished scientist who holds the distinction of being the first American woman to walk in space.

In addition to nationally recognized researchers, the forum typically attracts several hundred participants, including college students, postdoctoral fellows, academic and community leaders, government officials and private-sector representatives interested in promoting future workforce diversity in STEM disciplines.

Seventy-two oral and 150 poster presentations are expected and will span sciences and social sciences that encompass the environment — atmosphere, marine and fisheries as well as remote sensing science and technologies.

For more information about how to participate and to register to attend, visit www.eppforum2014.com.

Interact live with solar scientists during Solar Week, Oct. 27-31, 2014. Solar Week provides a weeklong series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games with a focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Students in grades 5-9 can learn about solar careers, sunspots, solar energy and solar storms through a series of activities, games and lessons.

Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars or astronomy in general. Many lessons are suitable for fun computer lab activities as well. After doing the activities, students can interact on the bulletin board with leading scientists at the forefront of Sun-Earth research. Solar Week is great for learning about our nearest star, the Sun.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

High School Space Math
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 9-12Event Date: Oct. 28, 2014, at 6 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to NASA resources designed to make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the high school classroom. Hands-on activities that reinforce mathematics skills will be explored.

The Human Body: Challenges of Living in Space
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Oct. 29, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will explore the effects of microgravity on the human body and learn how research on the International Space Station relates to people on Earth. An informative and fun inquiry activity for students will also be shared.

LRO: Measuring the Temperature of the Moon
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-9Event Date: Oct. 30, 2014, at 6 p.m. EDT
Participants will learn about the Diviner Lunar Radiometer, an instrument aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that measures surface temperatures on the moon. NASA research scientist Dr. Paul O. Hayne will share the latest lunar mission findings and discuss lunar eclipse observations.

Mass vs. Weight: What’s the Big Difference Anyway?
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Oct. 30, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will explore the concepts of mass and weight, along with forces and motion, using NASA educational resources including a video filmed aboard the International Space Station.

NASA is inviting the public to send their names on a microchip to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including Mars.

Your name will begin its journey on a dime-sized microchip when the agency′s Orion spacecraft launches Dec. 4, 2014, on its first flight, designated Exploration Flight Test-1. After a 4½-hour, two-orbit mission around Earth to test Orion′s systems, the spacecraft will travel back through the atmosphere at speeds approaching 20,000 mph and temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

But the journey for your name doesn′t end there. After returning to Earth, the names will fly on future NASA exploration flights and missions to Mars.

The deadline for receiving a personal “boarding pass″ on Orion′s test flight closes Oct. 31, 2014. The public will have an opportunity to keep submitting names beyond Oct. 31 to be included on future test flights and future NASA missions to Mars.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Free STEM Educator Workshop in New York — Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology

NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum have partnered to provide educators a Free STEM workshop that will train educators to implement the Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology, or BEST, curriculum into their K-8 classrooms and educational programs. Informal and afterschool educators are also encouraged to attend.

Participants will receive a Free BEST lab materials kit and training from Intrepid’s STEM education programs. BEST meets many of the standards associated with the Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, State Science Content Standards and the IB International Baccalaureate program. Participants will have the opportunity to work with NASA scientists and engineers, create a network with STEM educators and receive NASA/BEST certification.

Workshops will take place Nov. 1, Nov. 8 and Nov. 22 at the Intrepid Museum of Sea, Air and Space in New York City. An additional workshop will take place on Nov. 7 at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. All workshops will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

Registration is limited and is open to all US citizens. For more information and to register for this workshop, please send an email to Sara Meziani at sara.meziani@nasa.gov.

NASA Education is presenting a free online course for educators who wish to integrate NASA educational lessons and activities into their learning environments. Offered through the NASA Virtual University, the course consists of a series of webinars led by NASA education specialists. Each webinar will be offered twice. The course is free, but you must register to attend.

Mathematics: Algebraic EquationsThis course consists of three weeks of weekly webinars, and is designed to introduce educators to tools for teaching algebraic equations. The first webinar in the series takes place on Nov. 3, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST.

NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2015 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Aerospace Concepts competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition for university-level engineering students and faculty.

Concepts derived from the design projects could potentially be implemented by NASA.

Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Nov. 3, 2014, and teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Jan. 11, 2015. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as 11 undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2015 in Florida.

The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also collaborate on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Students and educators are invited to participate in Sally Ride EarthKAM this fall. The 2014 fall mission is scheduled to take place Nov. 4-7, 2014. Guide your students in hands-on research as they program a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of specific locations on Earth. The optional online curricula at the Sally Ride EarthKAM website are targeted at middle school students but are adaptable for other grade levels. All students and educators are welcome, including participants in afterschool programs.

For more information and to register for an upcoming mission, visit the Sally Ride EarthKAM home page at https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/.

Curious about icy bodies in the outer reaches of our solar system, the effects of space junk on deep-space observation, the latest discoveries about the origins of the universe and new ways galaxy formation is mapped? Come to the Smithsonian’s Stars Lecture Series presented by Smithsonian researchers who are exploring the sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. These speakers will share behind-the-scenes details about how their research is done and about technologies that advance new discoveries. The lectures will be held at the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Each lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. EST and is followed by a Q&A session. Stay after the lecture to visit the museum’s observatory, weather permitting.

Nov. 8, 2014 — Far Out! A Tour of the Icy Bodies of the Outer Solar System
Discover the diverse and curious population of icy bodies that inhabit the outer solar system. Postdoctoral fellow Emily Martin will lead participants on a journey starting at the moons of Jupiter and cruising through the moons of Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, and then stopping at Pluto.

Dec. 6, 2014 — Rubble Trouble: How Space Junk Impacts AstronomyThe incredible information and images gathered using space telescopes have revolutionized what we know about the cosmos. Could space junk hinder future findings? Research associate Lisa Rand will discuss this question and the impact space junk has on astronomy.
Jan. 24, 2015 — Observing the Origin of the Universe From the South PoleAfter three years of observing from the South Pole, scientists may have found confirmation that the universe underwent a burst of inflationary growth at the time of the Big Bang. Cosmologist Colin Bischoff will discuss these findings as well as the excitement of astronomy from Antarctica.

Feb. 21, 2015 — Tracing the Structure of the Universe With Galaxy SurveysStudies of galaxy formation and cosmology have exploded in recent years due to the immense data obtained from large galaxy surveys. Postdoctoral fellow Cameron McBride will discuss how observational data and theory are combined to better understand fundamental questions in our universe, and will highlight some exciting results from ongoing research.

NASA’s One Stop Shopping Initiative for Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships, or OSSI NIFS, strives to provide high school students and undergraduate and graduate students at all institutions of higher education access to a portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities offered by NASA mission directorates and centers.

Visit the Office of Education Infrastructure Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI NIFS online application for recruiting NASA interns, fellows and scholars. This innovative system allows students to search and apply for all types of higher education NASA internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A single application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration by all NASA mentors.

The deadline for spring 2015 opportunity applications has been extended to Nov. 9, 2014.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement for the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, Institutional Research Opportunity, or MIRO appendix. This effort was previously titled as the NASA University Research Centers Project, and has now been consolidated into the MUREP Program within the NASA Office of Education.

Through the EONS omnibus solicitation, the opportunity MIRO has been released. Through MIRO awards, NASA aims to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM literacy and to enhance and sustain the capability of minority serving institutions to perform NASA-related research and education, which directly support NASA’s four mission directorates — Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration and Space Operations, Science, and Space Technology.

National Institutes of Health Seeking Applications for Serious STEM Games for Pre-College and Informal Science Education Audiences

The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, is seeking applications for funding awards to develop serious science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, games with a focus on biology that address health and medicine questions for pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students, pre- and in-service educators or informal education audiences.

Serious games are defined as the use of gaming technology to train, educate and encourage behavioral changes in a virtual world format where progressive learning, feedback on success and user control are combined into an interactive and engaging experience.

Two types of grants are available. Awards will be made via Small Business Innovation Research grants and Small Business Technology Transfer grants. Only United States small business concerns, or SBCs, are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity. An SBC is one that, at the time of award of Phase I and Phase II, meets specific requirements. For full details, visit the opportunity website.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission began orbiting Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. MAVEN will explore the planet′s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. The mission will provide invaluable insights into the history of Mars′ atmosphere and climate, liquid water and planetary habitability.

Join the MAVEN education team for a one-day workshop on the MAVEN mission, and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! This program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission. The workshop will introduce participants to these lessons and concepts. The workshop will also have a session devoted to Spanish speaking English Language Learner and English as a Second Language students. Attendees will receive free classroom materials.

The workshop will take place on Nov. 15, 2014, in Queens, New York. Registration is $15 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Applications are due Nov. 12, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

NASA is seeking applications from U.S. graduate students for the agency’s Space Technology Research Fellowships. The research grants, worth as much as $74,000 per year, will coincide with the start of the 2015 fall academic term.

Applications will be accepted from students pursuing or planning to pursue master’s or doctorate degrees in relevant space technology disciplines at accredited U.S. universities. The grants will sponsor U.S. graduate student researchers who show significant potential to contribute to NASA’s strategic space technology objectives through their studies. To date, NASA has awarded grants to 247 student researchers from 79 universities located in 35 states and one U.S. territory.

Sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, the fellowships are improving America’s technological competitiveness by providing the nation with a pipeline of innovative space technologies.

National Science Foundation’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellowship Program

The National Science Foundation, or NSF, is accepting applications for its East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes, or EAPSI, Fellowship Program. This program provides U.S. graduate students in science and engineering with an opportunity to spend eight weeks (10 weeks for Japan) during the summer conducting research at one of seven host locations in East Asia and the Pacific. Host locations are Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan. The program is a collaboration between NSF and counterpart agencies in each host location.

EAPSI is open to graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are enrolled in a research-oriented master’s or doctoral program in science or engineering. Applicants must propose a research project in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field supported by NSF. Applicants identify and contact host researchers on their own prior to submitting their EAPSI proposals. Lists of prospective host institutions are available at the opportunity website.

The Humans in Space Art Program and NASA’s International Space Station Program have teamed up to launch the international Humans in Space Art Challenge. How will humans use space science and technology to benefit humanity? College students and early career professionals are invited to ponder this question and to express an answer creatively in a video less than three minutes long. Video artwork can be of any style, featuring original animation, sketches, music, live action drama, poetry, dance, Rube Goldberg machines, apps, etc. Younger students may also participate, but all artwork will be judged in one age category.

Individuals or teams of participants should include one clear reference to the International Space Station in their videos and may use space station footage if desired.

An interdisciplinary team of space representatives and art experts will evaluate the videos. NASA and the Humans in Space Art program will make the highest scoring artwork visible worldwide through online and local touring events. NASA will also take the winning video on a trip into orbit on the International Space Station and provide montages with flown patches for winners.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 8 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce an authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 8 to the International Space Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the ISS. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research minilaboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in fall 2015 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a learning community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations are also encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than Nov. 15, 2014. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.